Lamp-bulb installing and removing device



Sept. 18, 1923. 1,468,348

H. D. GRINNELL.

LAMP BULB INSTALLING AND REMOVING DEVICE Filed May 17. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l lumen/Z0 I" HaroZdfl. Gazing/@023,

' Sept. 18 ,1923.

H. D. GRINNELL.

LAMP BULB INSTALLING AND REMOVING DEVICE Filed May 1'7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I maze-n mm: Hwzw Zd @Kw'nmzaZ/J I iyx y M M 4 K a m m t nan-run: srn'res rarnnr HAROLD D. GBINNELL, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TOTHE G. CLA.

Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

V LIANUFAGTUBING COMPANY, OF PITTSIEIELD, IiIASSAGHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS. t

LAMP-BULB INSTALLING Application filed May 17,

T 0 all. to 710m it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD D. GRINNELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsfield,.in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented .an Improvement in Lamp-Bulb Installing and Removing Devices, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters'on the drawings representing like parts. v

' This invention relates to improvements for. installing and removing incandescent lamp 1. bulbs and other objects, and aims to provide novel and improved means for manually performing these operations quickly and safely, particularly in respect to lamp bulbs suspended upon a'cord or other non-rigid support in elevated positions.

llfyinvention will best be understood from a description of a specific useful embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is-a front elevation of the device in operative relation to an incandescent bulb of the usual type, the same being illustrated in connection with an ordinary form of lamp shade, the limits of outward movement of the clamping arms for gripping the shade being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig.2, a side or edgeview of the same; and v r Fig. 3, a longitudinalvertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig; 2, presenting afront view of the device on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be observed the device-comprises a bulb engaging portion andn shade gripping and supporting portion. These portions are mounted in cooperative relationship upon a hollow rod or pole by means of which they are supported, operated and. controlled. This rod is'of indefinite variable length andadapted to. enable the. operator to -convenientlymanipulate an object when placed beyond his'grasp. The rod maybe formed in any manner suitable to the purpose, and is preferably composed-of a series of sections detachably connected so that by adding or removing a suitable number their aggregate length may be readily accommodated to the required reach forloperation. i Asherein shown, therod comprises permanent upper-and lower tubular sections 10, 11,

AND REMOVING DEVICE.

1922. Serial No. 561,717. 1

stem portion 15 extending slidably into its interior a distance preferably at least equal to the limits of movement of the handle, as

hereinafter described.

The head 13 is provided with a central bore to receive a sliding spindle 16 extending downward through the rod sections 10, 11, and seated in the upper end of the reduced portion 15 of the handle. The spindle 16 is extended upward through and beyond the head 13 and carries at its upper end a detachable socket member 17 adapted to support a removable chuck or clutch member 18 for receiving a lamp bulb 19..

The socket member 17 has a stem 20 provided with a suitable. central bore to receive the upper extremity of the spindle 16, being rcmovably secured in fixed position thereon by a set-screw 21. In. the upper end of this socket member is a circular well 22 having inclinedv side walls'corresponding with the formation of a stem 23 depending from the clutch 18 and adapted to seat firmly therein, said stem being preferably fitted with a metal bushing 123 having tapering side walls. To prevent accidental displacement ofvthe clutch from its setting and supplementing the frictional resistance offered by r the engagement of thesten with the socket member, I provide suitable latching means in the form of a spring-pressed button 223 slidably mounted in a transverse opening inthe stem 23 and extending at one end through suitable registering openings in the walls of 17. y 7 V d The clutch 18 is a hollow receptacle having the formation of-an inverted frus tum, the large end being open to receive a lamp bulb and the lower end being closed preferably by the provision of a perforate bottom 24 (see Fig. 3) depending centrally from which is-the reduced portion or stem 28, said bottom and stembeing preferably integral and provided centrally with a recess 25 adapted to receive the nipple 26 on the bulb 19, and also withone or more-marginal openings 124; which serve as air vents.

the bushing 123 and socket member The sifde'walls' of' the clutch lS-are. constructedofflexible' material, such as paper,

rubber or thin sheet-metal, adapted to bind upon'the walls of the'bulb and conformto any irregularitiesin the surfacethereof;

The side walls and bottom of the clutch may be made integral, but in the present embodiment of my device theseparts constitute separateelements secured together by means of a bailing wire 27 enclosing the side walls aboutthe bottom at and. adaptedto force the former into an annular'groove 28 p'rov1ded" the exposed portion of'thefhead 13 by means of'sepa'r'ate screwsi29 are'a pair ofoppjositely arranged adjustable clamping arms 30, 30,

arranged to. swing toward and away from each" other and designed to grip alamp shade 31. The shade herein illustrated is. detachably supported inthe usual. manner upon a bracket 32' carried on the lamp. socket 33, and forms-a depending skirt freely surrounding the lamp bulb.

In the present embodiment the arms 30,

30 are constructed of metal tubing formedat their lower ends with integral bifurcated portions 3 L, 34, arranged to straddle the head 13 and secured thereto in the manner above described. Inserted in the upper end of the clamping arms and slidably mounted. therein are shown semi-circular. arm extension portions 35, 35, secured at any desired elevation by means of threaded studs 36. 36, seated in said. extension portions and extending through suitable longitudinal slots- 37', 37, provided in the side walls of the arms 30, 30, the projecting end of each of the studs being fitted: with a clamping nut 38.

Mounted on the upper extremities of the arm extension portions 35 are clamping or gripping members 39, 39. adapted to grip the rim of the lamp shade 31 at opposite points. As herein shown, these gripping members are secured in any suitable manner in fixed position on the arm extension portions 35, being preferably constructed of stamped sheet metal of open structure having an upper cross strip 40 formed to present a concave surface for gripping the side walls of the shade, and a convex lower strip 41, forming a support or seat extending beneath the shade and engaging its lower rim, the inte'rs'tice or slot, intervening these per} t'ions' being adapted to receive a segment of the shade rim. Those partsof the gripping members such as the strips 40, 41, engaged by the lamp shade are preferably wound with tape or otherwise provided with suitable protective coverings 42.

The clamping arms 30, 80, are pivotally secured to the spindle 16 by braces 43, 43, which are attached at their outer ends preferably to integral eye members 44 44:, struck ner' ends to a" horizontally arranged yoke 45 slidably mounted on the spindle 16 above therod l0 and provided withapertulied ends arranged in vertical. planes. for attachment of the braces.

The arms 30, 30, are normally held in the closed position: axcoillexpansion spring 46 mounted on the spindle 16 above the rod 10, said springbearing at its lower end upon the head 13 and at its upper end against the. yoke 45. aslidingcollan? (seeFig 3")"bein'gpreferably interposedbetweenthe spring andthe yoke;

In operation," the clamping arms- 30, are first'spread apart the approximate dis-zv tance required" for' adjustment to" the lamp; shade, this, spreading operationbeing accom: plished by the operatorcby grasping the; rod 10. firmly in one hand andpulling down upon the handle 14 with the other hand: This downward movement of the spindle. 16"- will not" cause" the arms 30", 30," to spread. until the socket" member" 17 is" brought" into contact with the yoke 45 which is then forced downward in'opposition, to the yield ing resistance of the spring46. WVlien. thearms 30, 30, spreadsufficiently' to receive the shade 31 the gripping members 39, 39' are applied to the rim in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2'. The downward pull'onthe handle is; now released and the gripping members are forced into close engagementwith the shade responsive to the expansive action of the spring 46'. The spindle. I6. is now free to be raised without disturbing the position of the clamping arms, the clutch 18 being forced upward over the outer, or enlarged endiof the lamp bulb and at the same time suflicient downward pull isexerted by the operator upon the clamping arms to hold the lamp shade in stationary position. hen the bulb is well seated in the clutch the spindle 16 is then rotated to unscrew" the bulb from its socket, afterwhich the clampinp; arms are again spread in the: manner above described for disengaging the lamp. shade. Similar-operations, involving the re"- verse action of the spindle 16 may be employed to install the bulb in the lamp socket;

Preliminary adjustment ofthe arm extension. portionsv 35, 35; by means oft'he" nuts 38, 38, may benecessary; to give the. clamps ing arms the" required. reach and to: permit suflicient space between the lamp soclretand the lowerlimit of movement of the clutch. for play of the clutch: in installing orre' movingthe lam bulb; As the clutch. is removable in its mounting any-"one ofa series of clutches having well portions ofdifi'rent lit) capacities but like-sized stemportions may;

not restricted to the particular embodiment herein shown and that obvious modifications and separate adjustable mechanism movably mounted on the support for gripping a lamp shade. V

3. In a device of theclass described, in combination, a support, clutch mechanism for engaging a lamp bulb, separatemechanism for gripping a lamp shade, and means whereby said shade gripping mechanism may be moved in the direction of its length independently of said'support and said bulbengaging mechanism.

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a support, gripping mechanism carried on said support, means for imparting rotary and reciprocating movements to said mechanism, separate gripping mechanism carried on said support and having arms en'- closing said first-mentioned gripping mech anism, and means for opening and closing said arms.

5. In a device of the class described, in'

combination with a support, separate cooperative clamping mechanisms carried by the support, one ofsaid mechanisms being adapted to grip a lamp shade, andthe other of said mechanisms being adapted to grip a lamp bulb. i V

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a support, gripping means for detachably securing said support to an object, a thrust member mounted to slidein said support, and means carried by said thrust member adapted to be moved into and out of position for gripping a separate object.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a rod, a spindle mounted to slide in said rod and projecting beyond one end of the rod, a clutch mounted on one end of the spindle for gripping a lamp bulb, and means carried on the rod and cooperating with the clutch for gripping a lamp shade.

8. In a device of the class described, in

-combination, a support, clamping arms movably secured to the support and adapted to be moved into and out of position for gripping an object, and cooperative means carried by said support and adapted to be moved independently of the clamping arms into and out of position for gripping a separate object.

9. In a device of the class'described, in.

combination, a support, clamping mechanism including arms movably secured to the support, means for actuating the arms toward and away from the support for gripping an object, separate clamping mechanism carried by the support for cooperative relationship with said clamping arms, and means for imparting a reciprocating movement to said separate clamping mechanism.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, a tubular support, a thrust member mounted to slide within said support and extending beyond one end of the support, clamping arms pivoted to the upper end of the support and arranged to swing toward and away from each other, a sliding member carried on said extended portion of the thrust member, braces pivotally connected to the clamping arms and to said sliding member, and spring means for actuating said sliding member outward to close the clamping arms.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD D. GRINNELL. 

